An unexpected substitution in the fourth quarter saw Logan Tonge, age 11, score a 62-yard touchdown for the Atom Griffins at the Kanuka Thuringer Bowl on September 26, 2015. The Atom Griffins were playing the Canadians in a championship game in the Atom division of the Regina Minor Football league.

As reported by the Leader-Post’s Rob Vanstone, Logan, who has cerebral palsy, was invited by the Atom Griffins to join his friends at the sidelines. Discussions between Atom Griffins head coach Mark Sulymka and Canadians head coach Rob Palmarin resulted in Logan suiting up as Atom Griffins No. 14 and put on the field at the Griffins 48-yard line with 10 seconds left in the game. As Vanstone writes, “[Logan] accepted a handoff and his wheelchair was pushed 62 yards to the end zone. Players from both teams accompanied and cheered him on the journey, which ended with everyone concerned sharing in a unique touchdown celebration.”

According to Vanstone, Logan’s end-of-season touchdown was captured on video, which has since gone viral and has been viewed (as of September 30, 2015) over 50,000 times.

Logan is in Grade 6 at White City School and is lifelong friends with many of his Atom Griffins teammates.

Each year, Kanuka Thuringer sponsors a championship game at the Atom division of the Regina Minor Football league. Atom football is played by children 10 and 11 years old between mid-August to the end of September each year.

Vanstone’s Leader-Post article, “Regina Minor Football Team Gives Boy Chance to Make Dream Touchdown” is available on the Leader-Post website at: http://www.leaderpost.com. It was published on September 30, 2015